Airbus’s dispute with one of its biggest customers, Qatar Airways, over paint and surface quality is entering a legal arena after months of talks failed to resolve the issue.
The European planemaker said that it’s preparing for an independent review to help resolve differences over premature surface degradation on its A350 wide-body.
Though Airbus has acknowledged that other airlines have been affected, it said in a statement that this customer had rejected proposed solutions “without legitimate justification” and miscast the matter as a safety issue.
“While Airbus regrets the need to follow such a path, it has become necessary to defend its position and reputation,” Airbus said. “The attempt by this customer to misrepresent this specific topic as an airworthiness issue represents a threat to the international protocols on safety matters.”
The row has carried on for months, with Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker lashing out at Airbus over peeling and fading paint in numerous public venues.
Qatar’s aviation regulator has grounded more than a dozen A350s operated by the state-owned carrier. Last week, Al Baker characterised the dispute as an “important safety matter” and suggested the plane may have to be re-certified.
Airbus maintains the surface-degradation issues are non-structural, stemming from differing thermal properties of the A350’s carbon-composite shell, its outer paint coatings and a layer of copper lightning protection sandwiched between them. Each flexes at a different rate with temperature swings – which can be extreme in Doha, where the highs average 108 degrees Farenheit in July.
Qatar Airways took a first step toward legal action, triggering the conflict resolution provisions in the sale contract, Airbus executive vice president Philippe Mhun said on a call with reporters.
The solutions offered to Qatar Airways and others range from touch-ups to a full repainting of the aircraft if required.
“We stand by the product,” Mhun said. “We want to find a way to reestablish the relationship with Qatar.”
A spokesman for Qatar Airways declined to comment.
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